myths about root cause resolution

Posted on: December 6th 2018

The term root cause resolution gets a lot of play these days.

And for good reason! I mean, if you had to choose between getting to the heart of your health concerns for long term relief, or simply suppressing your symptoms for a short period of time, you’d probably go for the roots.

We all know that weeding from the roots is more sustainable than plucking the stems.

But there’s a problem with root cause resolution. A BIG problem.

It’s a myth that acts like a trap, ensnaring health conscious people like you who are committed to making dietary and lifestyle modifications that truly get to the heart of what’s causing your signs, symptoms, or diagnoses, so you can get back in the driver’s seat of your own health.

The most troubling part about the root cause resolution myth is that when you’re caught in it, you think you’re doing the best thing you can for your health, while the truth is you could be making matters worse.

Scratching your head?

The good news is that there is a way to get to the roots of what’s causing your pain and keeping you from living your best life. It starts with recognizing the myth when it appears.

The Myth Surrounding Root Cause Resolution

First let me say that root cause resolution is possible.

In fact, the first tenet of Functional Nutrition is to address the root causes. (Ask your Functional practitioner about it!)

The myth surrounding root cause resolution isn’t about the theory. Rather, like so many issues in healthcare, the myth is about the practical application of this important concept.

The myth says that it’s possible to find the root cause for, say, kidney stones, and that this remedy will work to resolve the condition for everyone—that each person that got kidney stones arrived at their stones for the very same reason.

Sadly, it doesn’t work this way.

The truth is, there is no root cause for a particular symptom or diagnosis.

There is no one root cause for kidney stones. Or tinnitus. Or menstrual cramps. Or SIBO. Or Hashimoto’s. Or any other issue you might be suffering from.

There are root causes for your kidney stones (if you have them, and I hope you don’t). For his tinnitus. For her menstrual cramps. And for my Hashimoto’s.

Here’s why we need to think not about one root cause, but many root causes; and why we need to think not just about similarities between all cases of the same condition, but also about differences that may be unique to the individual:

In order for a symptom or a diagnosis to appear, many factors need to align and create the perfect storm for that particular issue. And that perfect storm looks different for everyone. It’s the “tipping point” that’s the culmination of life events and occurrences particular to you.

You may have developed kidney stones because of your decreased water intake and loose bowels following a double round of antibiotics. Your neighbor may have them because of her weight in combination with her genetic predisposition to diabetes.

Your sister may have tinnitus because an ear infection was followed by a minor car accident that caused a neck injury. This created a cascade of conditions that ultimately led to the ringing in his ears.

Even serious illnesses like breast cancer reveal the individualized nature of illness. One woman might have developed the disease because of hormonal imbalances while another, with the same diagnosis (perhaps even of the same age, height and weight), has her hormones in check yet surprisingly elevated inflammatory markers. Same diagnosis, different root causes.

Can you begin to see the personalized nature of root cause resolution?

The way to discover the root causes of your dis-ease requires that we pay heed to your unique life and body. What worked for your best friend might not work for you. It’s not fair to offer you a “standard” protocol for whatever is ailing you, because you’re not standard. You’re you. Thankfully, Functional Nutrition recognizes this.